


latte nerve

by beanpod



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, First Meetings, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 03:53:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14824760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beanpod/pseuds/beanpod
Summary: "What, no fancy art? Not even a leaf? What kind of establishment is this.""I will pour it down your throat myself, I swear to god. You want a leaf? There's plenty out there, let me run and get you some."





	latte nerve

**Author's Note:**

> what? me? writing almost-fluff? unheard of. (might be the start of a series, who knows.) I WROTE THIS IN LIKE HALF AN HOUR AND SAT TRYING TO THINK OF A TITLE FOR A WHOLE HOUR WTF AND IT ISN'T EVEN THAT GOOD fml

Hoseok's tending to the last table when the bell above the door jingles, loud in the quiet of the almost empty shop. He smiles at the new-comer—he's got a shaggy mop of black hair, wet with rain, same as the shoulders of his blue, padded jacket.

"Hey, be right with you, pick a seat anywhere," he says, and the guy nods, waves towards the counter and sits there as Hoseok finishes picking up the tab from the last costumers, Eunseo and Dawon picking up their books and laptops almost zombie-like. Damn, he doesn't miss college _at all_.

Hoseok waves them goodbye, watches them scurry under the rain, and turns back to the bar.

"Rain isn't letting up, huh," Hoseok comments off-handedly as he rounds the counter; he leaves the tray on the work table by the coffee machine and the tab under the register.

The guy nods, his fingers running through his hair. "It's been crazy, the last couple days."

"Tell me about it, the whole street empties out when it starts raining. It's bad for business." He sighs, smiling ruefully. "What can I get you?"

"What do you recommend?" Shaggy-hair smiles back; he looks a lot more handsome when he smiles, Hoseok notices. But, like, he doesn't notice _on purpose_ , he just does. Whatever.

"Well," he says, making a face, "the actual barista already left—I'm the, uh, owner, and my coffee making skills extend to lattes so far. So, if that's fine…"

"You own a coffee shop but can't make coffee," the guy says slowly, and has the gall to lean his elbow on the bar and fit his chin on top of his fist. He smiles at Hoseok, shit-eating, too, eyes almost disappearing—what the fuck, why is that so _cute—_ and says, "I like where this is going. Do tell me more."

Hoseok purses his lips. "You come into my shop and disrespect me like this. Preposterous. The nerve. The _audacity_."

Rude-guy laughs, throwing his head back to the side a little which, like, _rude_. Hoseok huffs a breath and it's like that sets the guy off even more, and Hoseok's _this_ close to throw a dirty rag at his face now. When he's done laughing at Hoseok, he sticks his hand out, the one not supporting his big rude head. He smiles, almost friendly. Almost. There's a lot of silent mocking going on in his eyes, tiny as they are. "I'm Hyunwoo, I manage the new bookstore down the road."

Hoseok purses his lips but shakes the offered hand because, unlike Hyunwoo, he does have manners. "I saw the opening sign. I'm Hoseok. Welcome to the neighborhood, I guess."

"So, I think I'm gonna test the odds and have that latte, then," Hyunwoo says, eyebrows mocking. Seriously, the nerve?

"Alright." Hoseok spares Hyunwoo a last glance before getting to work on the damn drink—he purposefully makes it hot, see and the asshole burns his tongue off.

"So how come you don't have a barista today?" Hyunwoo asks. He's playing with the stack of napkins and Hoseok would be mad about it but that'll be Kihyun's problem tomorrow morning, not his.

"Kihyun—that's him—he, uh, it's his anniversary date tonight and being the magnanimous boss that I am, I decided to give him the night off."

"What if someone comes in asking for a very elaborate drink, then?" Hyunwoo sounds genuinely curious.

Hoseok looks at him over his shoulder and then nods at the windows; it's still raining pretty bad outside. "Does it look like someone will come in asking for fancy drinks in this weather to you?" he asks, flat.

Hyunwoo shrugs a shoulder. "I came in."

Hoseok chuckles at this, smiling as he pours the milk into a cup. "Honestly? You don't look like the fancy-drinks type of guy."

"Ooh," Hyunwoo grins at this, which Hoseok only catches a glimpse of and even that is just so fucking bright and, again, _what the fuck_. There's a pile of destroyed napkins by his hands and Hoseok eyes those with apprehension. Damn this guy seriously. "What kind of guy do I look like, then?"

Hoseok picks up the finished drink and places it carefully in front of Hyunwoo's smiling face. "You look like you'd enjoy a good cup of chocolate, actually. No marshmallows, though, that stuff's nasty and if that's the way you like your chocolate I'll kick you out my damn shop right this instant and let you drown under the rain."

"I do know how to swim, you know," Hyunwoo points out.

"Fat lot of good, that'll do for you," Hoseok snorts.

Hyunwoo laughs again, nodding like Hoseok's hit spot-on on the chocolate thing, though, and wraps fingers around his mug. He peeks at the top of it, eyebrows lifted. "What, no fancy art? Not even a leaf? What kind of establishment is this."

"I will pour it down your throat myself, I swear to god. You want a leaf? There's plenty out there, let me run and get you some." For all the snipe, it comes off kind of fond and Hoseok isn't sure why. Can't say he wants to know why, either.

Hyunwoo grins and takes a sip, carefully blowing on the surface. Hoseok, though he is loath to admit, kind of holds his breath as the giant fucker in front of him takes forever to swallow the tiniest sip of coffee known to man-kind. Hyunwoo makes a noise at the back of his throat as he swallows, smiling down at his mug, mouth a tiny, tilted curve. It kind of makes Hoseok's chest flutter a little which, like, what the hell.

"It's good," Hyunwoo says, looking up at Hoseok. His eyes are nice, all scrunched up like that. "There might be hope for you, yet, young padawan."

"You're horrible," Hoseok declares, turning around to start washing up the remaining dirty mugs as Hyunwoo finishes his. "I'm _so_ glad I didn’t give you the decaf, I sincerely hope you can't sleep tonight."

Hyunwoo snorts, "Well, if you're offering so nicely, how can I refuse, really."

Hoseok laughs so hard he drops a mug. Eh, that'll be Kihyun's problem, too, not his.

**Author's Note:**

> where do i go with this now lol kudos and comments are cool, feel free to leave some :3


End file.
